From 24 to 29 January 2023, manufacturers, traders, hunters and dog handlers will be focusing all their thoughts on JAGD & HUND as the industry convenes at the Messe Dortmund venue. This year in particular, trends will assume an importance like never before.

Dortmund, 23 January 2023 – JAGD & HUND at Messe Dortmund is one of those world-beating shows where traders get to meet the consumer public in a superb setting. Indeed, in the last decade, the foremost hunting weapon and optics manufacturers have been using JAGD & HUND as a platform for engaging in deep dialogue with the hunting public.

Likewise, in 2023, all the flagship players in the hunting and optics industry will be represented in Dortmund to present the finest innovations, new products, relaunches and company strategies to exhibition-goers. Such leading lights will include the Blaser family (Blaser, Sauer, Mauser, Rigby, Minox, Liemke), the Beretta group (Beretta, Benelli, Sako, Tikka, Steiner, Svemko, Aimpoint, etc.) and Carl Zeiss AG.

This will open up a 'window on the industry' of a type not seen before. For visitors and final consumers, this development ushers in a whole new range of possibilities at JAGD & HUND. Anyone wishing to avail themselves of these opportunities to gain a broad overview of developments and products on the market and engage in background discussions on innovations and developments should certainly plan to spend more than one day at the show.

Here, JAGD & HUND offers a taster of key trends in the range of offerings available at the show:

Hunting weapons

These most important tools of the hunting trade enjoy long service lives in the hands of their owners – often used for decades and subsequently revered with affection by children and grandchildren. Where else can one find such enduring bonds in our fast-moving consumer world?

On the one hand, this longevity is something manufacturers and traders are rightly proud of (the pronounced loyalty to branded products being probably the highest anywhere, especially with hunting weapons and equipment), yet the other side of this coin is that such longevity brings with it a rather restrained willingness to invest in new acquisitions. In this vein, the target audience of people new to hunting who visit the show once a year to get their bearings is of particular importance, and anyone starting from scratch has high demand and money to spend. Safety – as always – is paramount, and scarcely any manufacturer can afford to forego modern manual cocking systems (instead of conventional locking mechanisms).

With an eye to the market for future upgrades to basic equipment, many manufacturers are also enjoying great success with 'system' weapons offering the ability to extend the capabilities of a familiar weapon by retro-fitting interchangeable barrels at a future date. At the same time, such weapons offer the benefit of being able to be dismantled more compactly. There is also clear market demand for various different shaft options – in terms of both shape and material. Today, hardly any new weapons are brought to market without so-called perforated stocks (at least as an option), and the trend towards lightweight high-tech materials such as carbon (or even cheaper 'carbon-look' alternatives) continues apace.

A real milestone in the sale of hunting weapons is the possibility, granted by legislators for some years now, to use silencers when hunting. This has created a growing market niche – indeed the advantages of silencers are undisputed because as well as protecting of the ears of the gun handler, dog and especially others in a shooting range, there are also numerous plus points during the hunt itself which were hitherto unattainable, enabling less recoil and hence more precise shooting – both key benefits when out hunting. In addition, hunted animals find it harder to establish where the shots are coming from, thus boosting the chances of great hunting! Because of this, many traditionalists who would previously not have been seen dead using a silencer would now never want to be without them. The only real disadvantage of this equipment is that conventional silencers (even so-called over-barrel designs) make familiar hunting rifles longer in length and less easy to handle (less 'slingable' as hunters might say) due to their design. With this in mind, things bode well for weapons with built-in silencers. Current models in this entirely new wave of hunting weapons will be on display at JAGD & HUND 2023 in January.

However, nearly every new standard repeater also has at least one standard muzzle thread able to accept a silencer. New business areas are also emerging for the trade (gunsmiths) through the retrofitting of high-quality older firearms – usually involving barrel shortening, thread cutting and the legally required official re-proofing.

Hunting optics

The development of the second major sales driver in the industry – hunting optics – draws an entirely different assessment at present, above all now that the possibility granted by legislators to use night vision and thermal imaging equipment not just for observation but also for hunting has created an entirely new market niche whose prospects as yet appear unbounded. Those who do not wish to ignore this trend – or who cannot afford to (thinking of game damage and African swine fever) – will have to invest in new equipment as never before in recent decades.

Observation equipment

For nearly all hunters, the use of thermal imaging cameras opens up entire new worlds. In fact, today's somewhat overused term 'paradigm shift' is actually a fair description and in no way over the top. Even entry-level mid-range devices (retailing for under € 2,000) clearly outstrip the limited performance of top-of-the-range optics in twilight conditions and even more so in pitch-black settings. Anyone who has ever experienced this technology in the field will never want to be without it again, and those who use it regularly will soon notice the difference in quality. In contrast to the highly durable hunting optics of the past (binoculars or rifle scopes), thermal imaging technology is evolving extremely rapidly. Soon after being bought, the 'latest thing' is being overtaken by the next innovation just a few months later. One clearly identifiable trend here is binocular thermal imaging cameras, some even with built-in laser rangefinders. Top models such as the Merger (on show at the Pulsar/Bresser stand at JAGD & HUND) cost just under € 5,000, easily twice the price of the mid-range monoculars in most common use today, but once tried out they are considered indispensable.

Dual-use (clip-on) devices

The group of such devices, which can be used for hunting (shooting) in the dark by attaching them to existing rifle scopes, is probably the foremost sales driver in the entire industry right now. The vast majority of hunters want to use this technology and are prepared to pay for it, and from inexpensive digital solutions (so-called eyepiece attachments) starting around € 600 and entry-level licensable lens attachments (from around € 1,500) all the way to top models in the € 4,000 range, there really is something for everyone. The top dogs on the European scene (Swarovski, Carl Zeiss AG and Leica) are now right up there with the Far Eastern manufacturers (InfiRay, HIKMicro, etc.) and – together with Liemke – are set to be showing their latest products at JAGD & HUND. Even in German states which (like North Rhine Westphalia) prohibit the use of thermal imaging in hunting, night vision tube devices are the focus of much attention, given that this technique offers the great benefit of a 'true' image (more realistic and similar to the usual view through a telescopic sight) unlike a thermal image display, i.e. 'taking aim at a different temperature zone'. Another benefit of the tube devices is that they can be used immediately after being mounted – generally without requiring practice shots for fine tuning purposes. That said, they do have a design constraint in complete darkness since residual light amplifiers require what are referred to as infra-red brighteners, and unfortunately these must not be connected directly to the device or the weapon. This peculiarity means that thermal imaging clip-ons are currently outstripping their technically quite equal tube-technology counterparts. Both technologies will be available for comparison during a stroll through the show in Dortmund, allowing visitors to form their own impressions at the venue.

Adapters for clip-ons

These accessories are increasingly important as people are increasingly upgrading their night-sights. The required parts have to be chosen to fit the equipment in question, specifically the outer diameter of the riflescope used. As a rule, two parts are needed here. In view of the investments made in the overall night vision package, the equipment, which costs around € 180 to € 250, is increasingly coming into the focus of manufacturers, traders and consumers, and the latest adapter options will also be on show at JAGD & HUND 2023.

Accessories

Silencers are currently the fast-moving accessory in the retail trade. The market price ranges from entry-level models starting at around € 400 to featherweight luxury titanium versions for € 1,500 (similar to the price of a new gun). Here too, JAGD & HUND will be showcasing all the options. As soon as a definite interest in acquiring one of these items becomes apparent, any responsible dealer will point out that both the purchase and storage of silencers call for meticulous compliance with the exacting requirements of the Weapons Act: silencers must be entered onto the gun license (US: Firearm Owner's Identification card) no later than two weeks after acquisition and may also – like weapons themselves – only be stored in a suitable gun cabinet. 'Smart' accessories in this context are battery-powered dryers for silencers which have to be removed from the weapon and dried after each use to avoid the formation of highly aggressive condensates that can damage the barrel of the weapon. The Association of German Gunsmiths & Specialist Firearms Dealers (VDB) will be presenting key details and the impact of the latest gun law amendment each day from Tuesday to Friday at 14:00 hrs on the JAGD & HUND talks stage in Hall 5.

Hunting industry eagerly awaits start of Europe's largest hunting show

“As the largest hunting show in the industry, JAGD & HUND is the perfect place to present the NOBLEX product highlights to visitors right at the beginning of the year. The latest product trends will be presented in the supporting programme and many exhibitors will be enticing visitors with attractive product offers.”

Thorsten Kortemeier, Managing Director of NOBLEX E-Optics

“Manfred Alberts GmbH is looking forward to being at Europe's largest hunting show once again in 2023. We will be presenting our major European brands in their entirety, giving exhibition-goers the greatest possible insight into our product range. For us, JAGD & HUND is more of an advisory event than a sales event. Our brand specialists for BERETTA, SAKO, TIKKA, BENELLI, CHAPUIS, SVEMKO, STEINER, BURRIS and AIMPOINT will be engaging in B2C conversations offering as much detail as the customer wishes for. The show has become so important in Europe that representatives of our well-known partners wouldn't dream of missing the opportunity to assist us in person in advising end customers. Naturally, it is important for our suppliers to gather their own direct impressions of what the Central European market is calling for, and to assess what the competition is up to. And so, JAGD & HUND is a really special event for all concerned.”

Rudolf Alberts, Managing Director of Manfred Alberts

“As ever, naturally we'll also be presenting new models at JAGD & HUND in 2023. For some time now, this show has been the foremost live platform in Germany for us to present our new products directly to customers.”

Christian Socher, CEO of Blaser

“We can hardly wait to present the new LIEMKE devices such as the KEILER-1 and the LUCHS-2 – both homegrown German products – to our customers in person at JAGD & HUND 2023. The premium quality of their optics is obvious as soon as you see them.”

Otto Röhrer, CEO of Liemke

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